"Web 2.0"

.. has created a lot of fuss in the last twelve months. Huge amounts of new web-based tools, which allow people to share their stuff, and engage with each other. (wikipedia def'n.)

(img by bensheldon at flickr)

What is it all about?

• the "Read-Write Web", where everyone can read and write (rather than one person writing, and a hundred reading),
• "Social softwares" (eg web sites) that let people interact with each other in real and delayed time, sharing ideas and resources,
• "Rip, Mix, Feed", where content can be pulled in to a site from other sites, aka "mash-up",
• Different ways to embed, redistribute and reorganise your content (audio, photo, video, maps ..) across a range of different sites.

One of the best places to start hunting (watch out for overwhelm!), is the Web2.0awards site, which organises these tools into categories. Naturally, there are arguments about the terminology.

Articles: The Read-Write Web, in We the Media by Dan Gilmore.

(img by Paul Watson at flickr)

What is a Wiki? .. in plain language

Common Craft have made some great, easy intro's to new technology. The way they make videos is very low-tech, and could be worth copying. Here's their intro to The Wiki.

Media Buzz: YouTube, MySpace, and podcasting

• YouTube has been on the front page a fair bit. There are now web/TV sites which invite user contributions, then vote on which will be aired on TV. Details on our Video page.
• Podcasting was the buzz word of 2005, and now there are many ways you can get your voice online. People are using audio broadcasting to deliver content, share ideas and more. Details on our Audio page.
• MySpace is an astonishing phenomenon, where 80 million people share music (legally, ie musicians share their own creations), and interact with each other in all sorts of ways. It has clunky visual design, but people use it because it lets them interact.

Recent projects

Research:

Val Evans is currently researching the use of Web 2.0 and Social Software applications, in teaching and learning. More details here.

Illustration

The images on this page all come from flickr's Creative Commons pool. Thanks to the artists. Fred Cavazza has a terrific visual of the new "Digital identity mapping" that social networking tools lead to - interesting because he maps tools to purpose.

Engaging Youth:

The TxtMe and EngageMe (TafeNSW) projects used mobile phones to engage young people in sharing their photos ('moblog'), and developing literacy by stealth.

Links: EngageMe: their blog, guide to moblogging, their VibeWire page, their Wikispaces page, audio with their presentation at Learning Powerhouse (ICVET) '05.

Voice Online

Beyond Text, and Different Voices, Different Spaces came out of the New Practices projects in '05. (can't drop the 'index.html' off these links)

Networks

Several networks have been investigating the options for learning, for example:

• The Connected Learning Network.

(img Web1.0 vs Web2.0 by Popoever at flickr)